The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-10-04
THE PRESIDENT In ST. LOUIS
The Formal Reception Given Him at
the Merchants Exchange.
His Very Common Place Speech In Reply to
Mayor Francis - An Elegant Recep-
ton rendered Mrs. Cleveland.

CT. Louis. Oct 3-Tlll this morning the Pres
dent has been the guest of Mayor Francis but
today and to- morrow he belongs to the people.
Tairer weather could not be asked. The skies
are clear and the gentle north winds are sufh-
GENTLY cool to make light overcoats desirable
The streets. cieansed by last nights shower, are
free from dust, and everywhere along the line
of the Presidents ride to the fsir grounds the
sidewalks are crowded to their utmost capacity.
The Presidents carriage, drawn by quartette
Of richly caparisoned, high stepping black
horses and followed by five other carriages pro-
rided for his travelling companions and the local
committee in charge reached the Francis man
mans ion in vandeventer Place q few minutes
before 10 O'Clock. At l0:15, the President and
Mrs. Cleveland appeared at the door OF the
mansion and applauded by the crowd
sf ladies aud children that had gathered in the
PARK in front of the residence. There was
noticeable absence of men, and the dresses of the
people indicated the preponderance Of the better
classes Major G. q. Raiuwaser entered the
carriage with the President and wife. and in a
few minutes they were moving briskly toward
the fair grounds, escorted by a squad of mount
ed police and the citizens com mtree in carriages.
Hundreds OF vehicles, crowded with people.
waited Grand avenue at the entrance OF
vandeventer place and joined the procession.
than mile. There noise whatever
along the route except the clatter Of horses
hoofs on the road and the tramp of thousands of
feet upon the beaten walks. No mishap in
cident occurred to the pleasant morning
drive, and and at 1045 the party
rived at the gate OF the fair grounds.
The drive to the fair grounds was
made at trot 1t was children's day, and the
youngsters turned out in great force. They,
with mothers, nurses and friends packed the
seats of the amphItheater and the surrounding
promenade to the number of sixty thousand A
brass band in the pagoda in the center at
tempted to mako itself heard. but the shrill-
voiced congregation made everything but the
bass. drum inaudible The visitors did not
alight. After driving around the amhpitheater
track q halt was made, and Mrs. Cleveland was
presented by the lady superintendent of the
kindergarten schools with a handsome basket OF
flowers. The children. led by the band, sang
"Hail Colum bia." and the corteee, after drive
through the fairgrounds, made its way back to
the city, where they went directly to the Mer
chants Exchange Mrs. Cleveland did not
company the President to the Exchange, but
was LEFT en- route at the residence Of the Mayor,
whence she went to that of Mrs. Scanlan. one
OF society's leaders, where the ladies Of
st. Louis had opportunity to pay their re-
spects. On arriving at the Merchants Ex-
change. the President was taken TO the directors
room, whore q large number of representative
citizens from the interior Of the State in
troduced to him by counties Whom this cere-
mony was over the President was escorted to
the main hall of the Exchange. The immense
room. which is 225 feet long and $50 feet wide,
was jammed to it's utmost capacity with people.
and the President had difficulty in getting from
the reception room to the platform. On the
first appearance of the President loud cheers
went MP from the entire multitude, aud as he
cended the platform the enthusiasm was intense.
Mr.. Frank Gaienne. president of the Merchants
Exchange introduced Mayor Francis. and de-
ciarsd this the most auspicous day for St.
Louis in her history. Mayor Francis then well
coined the President to the city and State He
related the history Of the movement which had
brought the President to the city. abiding
briefly to the dIsappon tment of his first declin-
ing under circumstances which were almost i'm
possible to bear Their feeling found vent in
meeting this floor which renewed the invita-
tion and which had resulted IN his present re-
ception The enth usastic crowd and the NOM
bers of the committee did not alone represent
the city of ST. Louis, but also the State of Mis-
souri, and the West; that portion of the jurisdic-
ton purchased by jefferson, which constitutes
within itself one mighty empire. which has yet
come q power that the Nation no longer
ignore. He congratulated the President that he
had risen above the plane OF craftsmanship and
assured that the people now looked to
Washington with moro confidence than hereto
fore. ST Louis and Missouri were proud to be
the scene of such Demonstration of love and
esteem. and the people said to Grover Cleveland,
"welcome. thrice welcome
The President responded as follows:
11f am expected to make extended speech
on this occasion am afraid | shall disappoInt
you, and this should be sorry to do, after hav-
ing succeeded at last, through much tribulation,
in standing face to face with my St Louis
friends The tribulation of which speak has
arisen from the extreme kindness of vast
number of American people and the cordial in
vitations they have rendered me to stop and
see them on nv way to you Your city was the
objective point of nv travels in this direction,
but IL has sometimes seemed to that every
town between Washington and here has been
represented as being directly my route; and
IL has been hard to convince the;. kind and en-
thusiastic citizens that it would not be entirely
easy. within the time at nv disposal. pay
them visit. NV own inclination leading me in
the direction of their desires, it has been diff
cult matter to resist their opportunities; but I
have made up my mind that the people of St
Louis are to blame for the entire perplexity and
disappointment which this matter has caused,
for it was through them that | was induced
that anythr~ I might say concern
ing your State city in the way of laudations
or CONGRATULATIONS would hardly equal yonr own
estimation of the subject. 1 believe there
time when St. LOUIS was determined and
jealous rival to Chicago. / don't know whether
this condition continues or not but I hope it
does. While you can hardly expect lockers
to take sides in such test, interested
to the extent that such struggle adds to the
growth and Improvement of the country at
large. Both of these cities exem pify in
derful degree how completely and how speedily
American energy and business ingenuity util-
ICES every available element of municipal
growth and how every useful type of the
worlds population assimilated to the grand
purpose of American expansion.
81 am here reminded of what suppose to be
the fact, that more than one-half your voters
are of foreign birth and parentaee. The growth
and increase of your city in every way indicate,
think. that the condition of your population,
Just made apparent, liz by no means TO be depre-
Gated: and my observation during a long resi-
dence in a city similarly situated has led
know the value to any community of the in
dustrions, frugal aud thrifty and
who come from foreign lands find new homes
with Us; who invest themselves with citi-
nr,Au h. Ed suu;t